The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-02-04
PROTECTION IN Virginia.

The Old states Awakening with the Growtl,
Of 1t, Mineral Industries,
Richmond Dispatch 10 The Philadelphia Frtu.
The remarkable growth OF Virginia's
mineral industries during the past year or
two hau been heralded far and wide by
the Bourbon Democrats Of tho State, but
little has been said Of the a,ill more aston.
lshing growth Of the protection ssntiment
which hes even gotten in advance OF the
material progress. When seven protec.
tioniBt Congsesemen were elected lsst No.
yember, the Democrats attributed the
result to apathy in their own ranks, dis.
satisfaction with tho Administration and
other Causes Of q trGrn,ent nature, but
they knew very well, q, all observers Of
Virginia's recent growth know, thu. 1t was
due solely to tho peoples awakening dis
trust OF tho free trade c%andidatee, This
awakening came with tho development Of
the States mineral resources aud the rise
Of fsciorieE just IS 1t has come in all the
Southern States which show signs OF
material advancement.
Only a few years ago Virginia was an
| agricultural state, and a very poor one at
that, and no Protectionist would think OF
standing for election to Congress, excep,
the manufacturing dietrict around Peters.
burg. Northern capital then poured in;
iron and coal were dug out OF The ground.
mills and factories, employing thousands
OF iIen, sprang up, wealth and prosperity
csmo 10 communities which formerly
barely existed by tilling the soil and, pres.
to, change! Now, in every part of the
State, excepting in a few counties on tide.
water Virginia owned almost exclusively
by a few old Bourbon l%andholders, the
people arc crying Tor protection. With
tho coming Of wealth came q recognition
Of the necessity Of protecting the source
Of that wealth. When there was nothing
to protect no arguments could convince
the people that a high tariff was to their
advantage, and it has taken the material
lesson 10 open their eyes.
A glance at the different sections Of the
State shows the beauties Of Protection
better than columns OF statistics. The
great iron district in the Southwest was
strongly Democratic until Northern capital
began uneatthing its wealth a little while
ago. Now it is for protection, and last fall
elected q Republican by q big majority,
purely Oh the tariff issue.
The Richmond district has also taken to
Protectionist ideas, and a Democrat repre-
sents it solely because he is in favor OF a
protective tariff. When tho Democratic
party is forced 10 the square tariff Issue,
as 1t soon rnust be, Richmond will send a
Republican to Congress.
The thrifty Petersburg district has a Re
publican representative. Lynchburg, with
its factories and its thriving industries, put
its foot on Free Trade las. fall and elected
IN independent Protec.ionist to Congress
The wealthy seaport city OF Norfolk finds
Protection Necessary, and elects a Repub.
Iican regularly. The fredericksburg dis
trict has just awakened from it's long
slumber since the Tar, and with the awak-
ening came the election in November OF q
Republican.
The Stanton district hes for come time
been awake to the necessity OF protecting
it's infant industrial plants, but kept Ran
dolph Tucker in Washington on account
Of his peraonal popularity. Tucker retired
last November and Stanton replaced him
with q good Republican Protectionist.
Even the Bourbon Danville district set its
foot down on Cabell snd free trade.
And which districts are still in the free
trade column? Two which are CONNER
cially dead and likely to remain so-Alex.
andria and HarIieonburg. 1t looks very
much, indeed, as ii the mother of the
Southern States we're taking the lead
toward breaking up the solid free-trade
South.